Salted PB&J Blondies

Cuisinart original

The right way to make the lunchbox classic may be in blondie form  we’ll let you decide.

Yields

Yield: 24 blondies


Ingredients

12    tablespoons (1½ sticks) unsalted
        butter, plus more for the pan
1      cup natural creamy peanut butter,
        mixed well
1½  cups honey roasted peanuts, divided
2     cups packed light brown sugar
¾    teaspoon baking powder
1¾ teaspoons kosher salt
2    large eggs
2    teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1½ cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
½   cup fruit jam or jelly, such as Concord
      grape, raspberry or strawberry, slightly
      warmed
     flake sea salt, for sprinkling


Nutritional information

Nutritional information per blondie:
Calories 265 (14% from fat) • carb. 30g • pro. 5g • fat 14g • sat. fat 5g • chol. 33mg • sod. 113mg calc. 91mg • fiber 2g

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F with a rack in the middle position. Line a 13 x 9-inch pan with foil, making sure to leave some overhang. Grease with butter and reserve.
2. In a medium saucepan, heat the butter over medium-low heat, until just melted. Remove from heat and stir in the peanut butter.
3. Insert the chopping blade into the work bowl of the food processor. Add 1 cup of the peanuts and pulse to roughly chop. Remove and reserve. Add the sugar, baking powder, salt, eggs, and vanilla extract to the work bowl. Process on Low until creamy, scraping down bowl as necessary. With the machine running, add the butter mixture in a steady stream through the feed tube, processing until incorporated. Stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Sift in the flour and process on Mix until flour disappears. Carefully remove chopping blade and fold in 1 cup reserved, chopped peanuts.
4. Scrape batter into prepared pan and spread into corners of pan, smoothing into an even layer. Drop the warmed fruit jam by the teaspoon, distributing it over the surface. Draw the tip of a knife through the jam to create swirls. Scatter remaining peanuts over the top and sprinkle with flake sea salt.
5. Bake until center is set and a toothpick or cake tester comes out clean, about 35 to 40 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking. Do not overbake. Remove from oven and set on wire rack. Let cool completely in pan.
6. To serve, use the foil overhang to lift the bar out of baking pan and transfer to a cutting board.Remove foil and cut into 24